Carcinogens ; Occupational Exposure

Animals ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; Pneumonia ; genetics ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; genetics

Health Personnel ; psychology ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Multivariate Analysis ; Professional Competence ; statistics & numerical data ; Stress, Psychological ; epidemiology

To explore the effect of magnitude and duration on the performance of Cumulative Sum (CUSUM),with simulation method used on the subject after the insertion of 11 outbreak events into baseline data with Poisson distribution.Sensitivity fluctuated from 9.1％ to 100.0％ with specificities higher than 98.6％.Sensitivity was significantly correlated with magnitude,and increased along with the increase of magnitude.However,no significant correlation was observed between sensitivity and duration.A magnitude which was at least 2.6 times higher than that of the mean daily baseline could result in the sensitivity of 100.0％.Time-lag would be improved along with the increase of magnitude.Time between onset and detection of an outbreak was no longer than one day when magnitude was more than 1.8 of the mean daily baseline.In summary,the performance of CUSUM was influenced by magnitude,but not by duration.CUSUM had the advantage of good time-lag and high sensitivity when the outbreak magnitude was more than 2.4 time over the baseline data.

Objective To evaluate the performance of the ABX Micro C-reactive protein(CRP)in determination of CRP.Methods The analytic characteristics including precision,carry-over,linearity, stability,interference and comparability were examined.Results The coefficient of variation(CV)was less than 5.1%,10% and d.3% for within-run,between-run and between-day,respectively.Carryover was less than 1.2%.Whole blood samples held at either room temperature or 4℃ were stable for 48 hours with relative deviation less than 6.0% relatively.Linear range was 1.0-70.0 mg/L using undiluted samples.The comparison between the ABX Micro CRP and Behring Nephelometer Ⅱ was well correlated Both serum:Y=0.996 7X-0.398 5,r~2=0.965 9;serum for BN Ⅱ,whole-blood samples for the ABX Micro CRP:Y=0.908 8X-0.138 2,r~2=0.959 4;both serum and whole-blood samples for the ABX Micro CRP: Y=1.001 7X-0.898 2,r~2=0.952 7.No obvious interference was observed by hyperhemoglobinemia and hyperlipidemia.Conclusion The determination of CRP test with ABX Micro is accurate and reliable.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of localizing the internal auditory canal (IAC) and the facial nerve through the root of the zygoma、foramen spinosum and the head of the malleus in middle fossa approach with the assistance of high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT).Methods Eighteen human cadaveric temporal bones were scanned and measured by HRCT.Cadaver specimen were divided into two groups.Group A was studied first through a middle fossa approach to find out the relationship between the HRCT measurements and the anatomic measurements.Then 4 whole human cadaveric heads (8 temporal bones) of group B were dissected using a HRCT oriented middle fossa approach to localize IAC with the root of the zygoma,foramen spinosum and the head of the malleus as landmarks.The two measurement methods were analysed with the Paired-Sample T test,and the difference was thought to be statistical significant when P＜0.05.Results In Group A, there were no statistical significant differences between the CT measurements and the anatomic measurements from the head of the malleus to other important anatomic structures.In group B,the operation was guided with CT measurements:the distance between the head of the malleus and the root of the zygoma,and the distance between the head of the malleus and foramen spinosum.Within the range 1.5mm to 3.7mm,the head of malleus was correctly localized.In seven out of the eight cases,the root of the zygoma,the head of the malleus and the internal auditory canal were in a straight line,whereas,in one case,there was an angle of 15°between the root of zygoma-head of malleus line and head of malleus-internal auditory canal line.Conclusions HRCT would provide more information on the distance relationship between the head of malleus and the root of the zygoma,foramen spinosum and the internal auditory canal.The head of the malleus could be localized through the root of the zygoma and foramen spinosum with HRCT and therefore the IAC could be exposed with the head of the malleus as a landmark in middle fossa approach when other landmarks were not recognizable.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between simple exposure to chrysotile and lung cancer.

METHODSThe nested case-control study method was used. All of lung cancer cases collected from a male fixed prospective cohort with follow-up of 30 years served as cases and a 1:4 matched proportion was used to select non-cancer case as controls. Controls matched for sex age (+/-5 years old), work time (+/-5 years) and smoking were collected in the same cohort.

RESULTSForty cases died of lung cancer in the study cohort, and the incidence was higher than the average incidence (SMR =1.77). The top four work types of death density were raw material (741.5), combing and spinning (424.3), weaving (365.0), and repairing (285.5), which was consistent with exposed level. According to the exposed level of chrysotile, the research objects were divided into the high level group and the low level group. The result demonstrated that lung cancer incidence of the high exposed level group of chrysotile was higher (OR = 3.7 95% CI 2.30 approximately 8.16), compared with the low exposed level group.

CONCLUSIONSimple exposure to chrysotile can increase the risk of lung cancer for workers who are exposed to chrysotile.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asbestos, Serpentine ; adverse effects ; Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo assess the association of TNF-α and IL-1RA SNPs with the risk of silicosis in Chinese workers exposed to silica particles.

METHODSCase-control study design was used to enroll 68 silicotic patients induced by silica particles and 68 healthy workers matched for length of silica particle exposure as controls. Both cases and controls were from the same company in southwest China, and each of them was requested to complete a questionnaire. Blood samples were drawn for genomic DNA extraction from each participant. The genotyping of TNF-α (-238 and -308) and IL-1RA (+2018) was performed using polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and SYBR green-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidential intervals (CI) for SNPs.

RESULTSNo significant differences were found between cases and controls in particles exposure length, body mass index (BMI), and status of smoking and alcohol consumption except for age (P=0.001) and blood type (P=0.042). The frequencies of TNF-α (-238) and IL-1RA (+2018) genotypes in cases were significantly different from those in controls, (P=0.001 and P=0.002, respectively), while a borderline significant difference was found in the frequencies of TNF-α (-308) between cases and controls (P=0.063). The variants of three SNPs increased the risk of silicosis in the Chinese workers exposed to silica particles. The adjusted ORs of TNF-α (-308), TNF-α (-238) and IL-1RA (+2018) were 2.8 (95% CI: 1.1-7.5), 20.9 (95% CI: 1.8-236.4) and 4.0 (95% CI: 1.6-10.1), respectively.

CONCLUSIONIt is suggested that cytokine polymorphisms of TNF-α (-238, -308) and IL-1RA (+2018) are associated with the risk of silicosis in the Chinese workers exposed to silica particles. Further independent studies on the interaction between SNPs and exposure to silica particles with a larger sample size are therefore warranted.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Case-Control Studies ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Silicon Dioxide ; toxicity ; Silicosis ; genetics ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo test the reliability and validity of two mental workload assessment scales, i.e. subjective workload assessment technique (SWAT) and NASA task load index (NASA-TLX).

METHODSOne thousand two hundred and sixty-eight mental workers were sampled from various kinds of occupations, such as scientific research, education, administration and medicine, etc, with randomized cluster sampling. The re-test reliability, split-half reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and correlation coefficients between item score and total score were adopted to test the reliability. The test of validity included structure validity.

RESULTSThe re-test reliability coefficients of these two scales and their items were ranged from 0.516 to 0.753 (P < 0.01), indicating the two scales had good re-test reliability; the split-half reliability of SWAT was 0.645, and its Cronbach's alpha coefficient was more than 0.80, all the correlation coefficients between its items score and total score were more than 0.70; as for NASA-TLX, both the split-half reliability and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were more than 0.80, the correlation coefficients between its items score and total score were all more than 0.60 (P < 0.01) except the item of performance. Both scales had good inner consistency. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the two scales was 0.492 (P < 0.01), implying the results of the two scales had good consistency. Factor analysis showed that the two scales had good structure validity.

CONCLUSIONBoth SWAT and NASA-TLX have good reliability and validity and may be used as a valid tool to assess mental workload in China after being revised properly.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Competency ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Health ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sampling Studies ; Self-Assessment ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; standards ; Task Performance and Analysis ; Workload